


With You

by Practicemakesperfect



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: A bit of character building maybe, Angst, Eventual Fluff, Expanding on previous fic, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Resolution, kyungsoo is resisting but he can’t forever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-10 23:35:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20536478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Practicemakesperfect/pseuds/Practicemakesperfect
Summary: Kyungsoo isn't unfamiliar with nightmares. But he is unfamiliar with asking his friend, Baekhyun, to come over and save him from them.





	With You

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sort of prequel (I guess? It's more like it's expanding on one of the many ways they could have met in the universe of the first fic) to Tired. Here's the link, if it'll work and if you feel inclined to read it: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19880617
> 
> It’s worth noting that this can be read on its own.

Kyungsoo didn’t know what to do anymore.

It was always the same nightmare. Always the same faceless entity surrounded in black, closing in on him, always that same stupid vague fear he felt when he woke up, alone in the dark. It had gotten to the point where he’d started keeping his light on at night. Pathetic, but necessary. If he didn’t, and he got another episode of sleep paralysis, the entire ordeal was just worse. 

Anything he could do to make it better, he would.

This particular night Kyungsoo was sitting up, lampshade on, throat closing up as the adrenaline rushed through his veins. He needed to breathe. It’s okay. It’s okay.

After he’d managed to calm down, Kyungsoo sat there with his arms around his pillow, staring at the door. The nightmare never quite left after he woke up. There was always a lingering fear, a lingering anxiety, and it was worse since he lived alone. Everything made him paranoid. A closed door, an open door, a dark hallway, closed blinds, the mirror; he tried not to imagine things, but they were there. And they kept him awake.

“I can’t do this,” Kyungsoo said out loud, tearing his eyes from his door. It was shut. He didn’t want to think about what was on the other side. 

Biting his lip, Kyungsoo leaned over and grabbed his phone from the desk beside his bed. His finger hovered over the screen. But the moment of hesitation passed when something creaked outside his room and he pressed the call button.

Four rings later, Baekhyun answered. “Hello?”

His voice was hoarse. He’d probably been sleeping--of course he’d been sleeping, it was the middle of the night. “Baekhyun… sorry for waking you up.”

There was the sound of shuffling. Maybe he was turning over, or getting up. “No, it’s fine. Is everything okay? What’s up?”

“I’m… it’s going to sound stupid.”

“It probably won’t.”

“It’s really stupid.”

“Well, tell me anyway.” When Kyungsoo didn’t reply, Baekhyun said, “You’re telling me, the King of being stupid, that it’s stupid. How long have we known each other? I won’t judge, I promise.”

Kyungsoo chewed on his bottom lip and leaned back against the headboard, blinking down at his blanket. “Can you maybe. Come over?”

God, the silence on the other end was deafening. Kyungsoo felt his anxiety rise, and suddenly this request that had seemed stupid a second ago became exponentially more ridiculous and selfish and pathetic and he started to apologize but--

“I’ll be there in ten minutes” was all that Baekhyun needed to say to stop all of that. “Do you want me to stay on the phone?”

Kyungsoo closed his eyes. He was already regretting calling. He could have dealt with it alone, like always. Why he thought asking Baekhyun, his friend of two years, to come over instead, he didn’t know. 

He looked at the door again. Of course he knew. He was scared. There. He admitted it. He’d had a nightmare and little baby Kyungsoo was scared and it was pitiful but not enough for him to deny himself company. Did he want Baekhyun to stay on the phone? “Yeah,” he answered. “Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.” Kyungsoo listened to him get up. “Do you mind if I, like, don’t change? My shirt is kind of wrinkled and also I’m too lazy to put on pants. I have shorts on, though,” he added quickly. 

“I don’t care.”

“Okay, good. Because I was going to go like this whether you liked it or not.” Kyungsoo heard the sound of him opening his door, locking it, and stepping outside. “Wow, it’s a really nice out. You should open the window.” He laughed. “Why do I feel like I’m vlogging? Sorry if I’m annoying you.”

Kyungsoo didn’t point out that not even five minutes ago, he’d told him not to apologize. “It’s fine. It isn’t annoying.”

Baekhyun opened his car door and buckled his seat belt, starting it up. Kyungsoo said, “you shouldn’t talk now. You’re driving.”

He laughed again, and this time Kyungsoo could almost imagine him smiling, and it made his heart turn. “Such a responsible adult.”

Obediently, Baekhyun said nothing on his way to Kyungsoo’s place. When he’d made it, he asked which room number he was and then asked Kyungsoo to unlock the door, which Kyungsoo did, while turning on every light he passed.

So, Baekhyun was greeted by a very bright, very tired, very small-looking Kyungsoo. 

“Hey,” Baekhyun said, stepping in and closing the door. He slipped off his shoes and immediately went to the couch, flopping there on his back. “So is this a last-minute sleepover party invite, or…?”

Ah, there was the question. Kyungsoo had been wondering why Baekhyun didn’t ask earlier. It was bound to come out at some point. He turned away and poured himself a cup of water, sliding it into the microwave. “I had a nightmare,” he said, watching the timer count down. 30… 29… 28… 27…

“Oh. So…”

22… 21… 20…

“Yeah. I was wondering if you could maybe stay. Sorry. Or--whatever. I guess the sleepover joke wasn’t too far off.”

15… 14… 13…

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but… why me? I realize that makes it sound like I don’t want to be here, which would be a very wrong assumption, by the way. But, I just. Why not ask...”

He paused. Yeah, Kyungsoo thought, there wasn’t anyone for him to ask. Throughout the two years he’d been to university, Baekhyun was his first and only friend. Kyungsoo wasn’t exactly a social butterfly, but he’d shared a class with the then-Sophomore Baekhyun, who’d somehow managed to warm up to him immediately.

Well, not that it was hard for Baekhyun. Baekhyun had a lot of friends. So maybe it wasn’t entirely true that Kyungsoo only knew Baekhyun, but out of the people he did know (Baekhyun’s social circle, mostly,) the only person he felt close enough to ask was him. So.

Baekhyun was still trying to name a person. But even he knew that Kyungsoo wasn’t close enough to anyone but him. Deciding to save him of the effort of salvaging the hole he was digging for himself, Kyungsoo said, “I’d rather it be you.”

3… 2… 1… The microwave beeped, and Kyungsoo took out the mug, blowing on the top as he turned around. Baekhyun was looking at him with an expression he couldn’t quite place. As Kyungsoo moved to take a sip of the warm water Baekhyun asked, “Why?”

“Because.” Kyungsoo said simply, “I trust you.” He brought the lip of the cup to his mouth and drank a bit as he let Baekhyun process his words. Then he sat at the counter and waited.

Baekhyun was looking at him. There was something there, and Kyungsoo hated that he couldn’t tell what it was. “You look tired,” Baekhyun noted finally.

“Yeah. I really--” Kyungsoo rubbed his eyes, suddenly feeling heavy. “--really want to go to sleep.”

“You should sleep, then. This is way past your usual sleep time.”

“I _know,_” Kyungsoo answered, suddenly irritated. “But I can’t.”

“Is it because of your nightmare?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I’ll stay with you. And you can sleep.” 

“What?” Kyungsoo couldn’t help the immediate response. What was Baekhyun suggesting exactly? There was no way it could be what he thought--

“I mean, I could stay on the couch and you could try to sleep, or something.”

“Ah, right.” Kyungsoo swallowed, suddenly embarrassed. “Right. Yeah. Okay, let’s try it then.” He got up, leaving the mug on the counter. “Uh, I’ll get an extra blanket for you.”

Baekhyun nodded and Kyungsoo went to the closet, pulling out a blanket to give him. “Good night,” Baekhyun said as Kyungsoo turned off the light.

“Good night,” Kyungsoo answered. “And… thanks.”

He could hear the smile in Baekhyun’s voice. “Any time.”

Kyungsoo went back to bed and closed the door, settling under the covers. Now that he was awake, fully awake, his anxiety had subsided. He was able to close his eyes and try for sleep which, luckily, did come.

At least, it was lucky until the nightmare resurfaced. 

When Kyungsoo woke up again, Baekhyun was at his side, a look of panic on his face. The moment he saw Kyungsoo’s eyes shoot open, he said, “are you okay? Are you awake? Thank god.”

Kyungsoo could feel his breath stuck in his throat and struggled before finally managing: “What are you doing in my room?”

“You woke me up. I’ve never heard anything like that in my entire life. It scared the shit out of me.”

Kyungsoo sat up, running a hand over his face. Baekhyun leaned back so he could look up at him. “What happened?”

“I heard you crying. I don’t know. It was really scary, Soo. What the hell were you dreaming about?”  
Kyungsoo shook his head. Maybe it was because this was the second time that night, but Kyungsoo was already feeling calmer. “It’s not important. I’m sorry I woke you up. I didn’t know I talk in my sleep. You can go back to sleep now. I should probably be fine.” In reality, he didn’t know. So maybe it was a partial lie.

“You don’t talk in your sleep, you cry.” Baekhyun paused. “Okay, this is going to sound weird, but like. Can I maybe stay here for tonight? In your room?”

“Um,” Kyungsoo blinked, feeling his heartbeat quicken. “I mean, sure, but why?”

“Because. You actually seriously scared me and I’m kind of scarred.”

“Was it really that bad?”

“You sounded like someone was murdering your first born son or something. I don’t even know. I just feel like if that happens again it’ll be better for both of us if we’re in the same room.”

“Okay. Then I’ll take the floor.”

“No, I offered to come in here. I’ll take the floor.”

“You’re a guest.”

“...Who just forced his way into your room.”

“I let you in?”

“But still--”

“You know I can’t just let you--”

“Fine!” Baekhyun interrupted him. “Let’s just both sleep on the floor, then.”

Kyungsoo stared at him. “How does that make any sense? Then both of us would be uncomfortable. There’s literally zero benefit to us doing that. If we were going to do anything, we’d share the--” he stopped himself then, realizing what he was saying. “I’ll take the bed.”

“What? That’s so unfair.”

Kyungsoo threw up his hands exasperatedly. “You just said I should.”

“Let’s just share the bed.” Baekhyun stood up. “You’re right, it makes more sense.” Baekhyun walked out of the room to get his blanket, escaping before Kyungsoo could utter a single word. Kyungsoo blinked, and when Baekhyun came back he didn’t move.

“You’re being serious?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“You’re never serious.”

“Well, maybe it’s different with you. Move over.” Kyungsoo scooted against the wall without comment, trying to decode whatever the hell “different with you” meant. Baekhyun got in and shut the lamp before snuggling under his blanket on his side. Kyungsoo laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

A couple of minutes passed before he heard, quietly: “Are you awake?”

“Baekhyun, it’s literally been five minutes.”

“I don’t think you’re trying to sleep. Who sleeps on their back?”

“Me.”

“Maybe that’s why you have nightmares.”

“Maybe.” He was lying. He actually slept on his side most of the time. But there was no way he was sleeping anytime soon. “Aren’t you tired?”

“Not really. Now that I’m up I’m pretty energized, actually.”

“It’s pre-exhaustion,” Kyungsoo said. “It’ll be bad tomorrow.”

“Well, I was fine until _someone_ interrupted my beauty sleep.”

Kyungsoo didn’t have anything to say to that, so he said nothing. Baekhyun had already told him to stop apologizing.

“...I don’t mind being here, though,” said Baekhyun suddenly. “It’s actually kind of nice to know that you trust me enough to call me. You don’t seem like the kind of person to do that a lot. And I don’t know. It makes me feel special. That you chose me.”

Kyungsoo turned on his side, facing the wall. He knew Baekhyun was facing the same way, and he wanted to avoid staring at him in the dark. “You are special.”

Quiet. Outside, Kyungsoo could hear the crickets chirping. He could hear his heart pounding. 

He hoped Baekhyun couldn’t.

“Let’s go to sleep,” Kyungsoo said. Kyungsoo closed his eyes, pulling his blanket up a little higher to his chin. 

For a moment, Baekhyun didn’t say anything. And then he said, “Kyungsoo, do you like me?”

The question came out of nowhere. The plainest presentation, no weight or seriousness but just a simple curiosity. It felt like he’d caught Kyungsoo in the act, had seen him watching him or listened to his thoughts and had just asked a casual question in confirmation. The thudding in his heart and his momentary loss of thought drove Kyungsoo to say,

“No.”

“Ah, okay. I just thought that maybe that was it.”

“Why?”

“Because. You’re really confusing. You barely put up with Junmyeon’s jokes but you always tolerate mine. And you go with me places when I ask even though sometimes you don’t want to. And you help me with homework and I don’t know. And then this. I know a lot of your close friends are probably back home but even this feels so out of character for you, and it’s confusing.”

God. Of course he’d been too obvious. Of course he’d been caught. But denial was his strong suit, and he would deny it until he couldn’t anymore. “It’s not out of character. I told you I trust you.”

“Even if I trusted someone, I wouldn’t call them for a nightmare. And if I wouldn’t do it, I know you wouldn’t.”

“Meaning what?”

“Meaning you’re introverted and you know it, and you have this really unhealthy obsession with dealing with things on your own with basically everything, and it wouldn’t make sense that you would call me or anyone really.”

“If you’re saying this because I bothered you and you want to go, then—“

“Are you even listening? I don’t want to go. I want to stay here. And I want to figure out what’s been confusing me.” He sounded frustrated. Kyungsoo tried to feel sympathetic, maybe apologetic, but he couldn’t really feel anything, suddenly.

“Okay, fine. Then figure it out.”

Kyungsoo jumped when he felt Baekhyun’s hand on his shoulder, turning him. He was on his back now, and Baekhyun was above him, looking at him. “You’re so, so frustrating sometimes,” he said.

Kyungsoo felt his heart quicken again at his tone, serious and low. “All I did was answer and listen.”

Baekhyun sighed. He said, “you’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”

And maybe not. But Kyungsoo wasn’t even sure what Baekhyun wanted him to make easier. He just knew that Baekhyun’s eyes were on him, thinking, until he finally decided to lean down. Kyungsoo swallowed as Baekhyun came closer, closer, and Kyungsoo’s eyes trailed down to his lips, and involuntarily, he closed his eyes.

After a long moment of nothing, he opened them again and saw Baekhyun, so close, just watching him.

“You told me you didn’t like me,” he said, “but then why do you look like you want me to kiss you?” When Kyungsoo didn’t answer he leaned in just a centimeter more so that Kyungsoo could almost imagine the feeling of them touching. His voice so quiet it could almost be a whisper he asked, “can I?”

The question didn’t register immediately. When it did, Kyungsoo realized something.

He was terrified.

It didn’t make sense. Any equations he did in his head collapsed from this situation. Nothing equated to this. This question, and the man who was asking it.

Kyungsoo wondered what he’d maybe done to end up here. But mostly, he wondered what Baekhyun’s lips felt like.

So in answer, he reached out, hand laying on the back of Baekhyun’s neck to bring him down. And then their lips met, gently, sweetly, in a question.

When they parted, Kyungsoo answered, “I like you.”

Somehow it was that easy. Somehow, suddenly, he wasn’t scared anymore. Baekhyun smiled down at him, and leaned in to kiss his nose. “I know,” he said.

And that was that.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, the link to the other fic in this universe: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19880617
> 
> I started this fic after rereading Tired and deciding that I wanted more. Except that my writing style is terribly inconsistent, so I'm not sure if I can count this as a part of that story. Maybe just similar to it. I've been told that my writing style/texting changes according to what book I'm reading, and I'm reading _Blinding_ by Jose Saramago right now, which if you didn't know has a pretty somber tone. Hence this fic.
> 
> This is definitely a fic I'd be interested in writing Baek's POV in. What I'm curious is if I should write it using the same exact dialogue, or if I should just use the same premise and write it from Baek's POV. Let me know what you think could be better.
> 
> Until next time <333


End file.
